ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS

• US 20160051225A1
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HONG, Seogwoo, KIM, Dongkyun
• Application Number:
  US14/660,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20160051225A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0215 for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0292 Electrostatic transducers, e.g. electret-type
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/76 Medical, dental

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer may comprise: a substrate; a barrier wall on the substrate; a diaphragm fixed to the barrier wall and defining a cavity, together with the barrier wall and the substrate; a pair of electrodes, facing each other with the cavity therebetween, configured to receive a driving voltage for driving the diaphragm; and/or a plurality of posts in the cavity and having a height smaller than that of the barrier wall.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer, comprising:

a substrate;

a barrier wall on the substrate;

a diaphragm fixed to the barrier wall and defining a cavity, together with the barrier wall and the substrate;

a pair of electrodes, facing each other with the cavity therebetween, configured to receive a driving voltage for driving the diaphragm; and

a plurality of posts in the cavity and having a height smaller than that of the barrier wall.

2. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1, wherein the diaphragm is freely supported on the posts.

3. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 2, wherein a height difference between the barrier wall and the posts is set in such a manner that a difference between atmospheric pressure and an internal pressure of the cavity causes the diaphragm to deform and make contact with upper ends of the posts.

4. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 2, wherein a height difference between the barrier wall and the posts is set in such a manner that when a direct current (DC) bias voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes, the diaphragm deforms and makes contact with upper ends of the posts.

5. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 2, wherein a height difference between the barrier wall and the posts ranges from several nanometers to several tens of nanometers.

6. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1, wherein a gap between the barrier wall and outer posts, which are among the posts and adjacent to the barrier wall, is greater than a gap between the posts.

7. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1, wherein a plurality of ultrasonic cells are in the cavity, and

wherein each of the ultrasonic cells is defined by three of more of the posts.

8. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 7, wherein the ultrasonic transducer further comprises a plurality of ultrasonic elements comprising the ultrasonic cells, and

wherein the ultrasonic elements are separated from each other by the barrier wall.

9. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 8, wherein the substrate comprises trenches at positions corresponding to boundaries of the ultrasonic elements to electrically separate the ultrasonic elements from each other and to prevent propagation of bulk acoustic waves.

10. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 8, wherein a gap between the barrier wall and outer posts, which are among the posts and adjacent to the barrier wall, is greater than a gap between the posts.

11. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 7, wherein the ultrasonic transducer further comprises:

a plurality of ultrasonic elements comprising the ultrasonic cells; and

a plurality of ultrasonic element groups comprising the ultrasonic elements;

wherein the ultrasonic element groups are separated from each other by the barrier wall.

12. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises trenches at positions corresponding to boundaries of the ultrasonic elements to electrically separate the ultrasonic elements from each other and to prevent propagation of bulk acoustic waves.

13. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 11, wherein in each of the ultrasonic element groups, a gap between the barrier wall and the ultrasonic elements adjacent to the barrier wall is greater than or equal to a gap between the ultrasonic elements.

14. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 11, wherein the ultrasonic elements are two-dimensionally arranged in each of the ultrasonic element groups, and

wherein boundary element columns and boundary element rows of the ultrasonic elements adjacent to the barrier wall are filled with deactivated ultrasonic elements.